Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-28
MUSIC HATH CHARMS
TO DRAW THE SOUL AWAY FROM
THE WORLDS WIcKEDNESS.

To DRAW THE SOUL AWAY FROM
THE WORLDS WIckEoNeSS.
A Theory of Music As Moral Force.
Effects of Music in the Home-Fwo
Young collegiates-The Idle of the
City.
IT is wiser to prevent than to punish
crime Among the many worthy schemes
for the prevention of crime, such as the
Waits, Mission. NewshOys' Home, Home for
the FriendIess Foundlings' Home, etc, music
has b,en more or less utilized, but has never
haen treated as a remedy in and OF itself. 1t
il EASY To show how il may be made use OF as
a separate factor in the moral disease OF our
body. polite:
First then. idIeness and vice are closer re-
lated than poverty and vice, for, as Emerson
saws aa mans daily task is his salvation"
and a busy poor man is less liable to tenpta-
t;an than a rich idler 1t is to occupy the
attention of those who are by force OF cir
e,,ms,ances or choice idle that the govern
mept sbouId exert itself. The Roman rulers
recognized this principle ami gladiatorial con-
tests, great sham sea fights and festivals were
arranged TO aInnse the people. European dy-
pasties carry out the SAME plan in different
forms Bands Of music parade regularly and
play in the open squares Of all the large and
any small cities of the continent, for the
astate nonarchs well know that the people
forget their misery and poverty In the enjoy
ment of the music, and at the same time q
patriotic feeling is awakened by military
pomp and national hymns. 1t may be too
much to say that Germany conquered France
with die Wacht am Rhein, but no one can
tell what might have occurred If the French
soldiers could have had Il new vigorous patrl-
otto song to have marched TO battle with AS
did the Germans As surely as the patriotic
sentiment should be cultivated so sure Is 1t
that music should be encouraged. But it is OF
music in the home, at the treside, that one
should chiefly speak, for the hearthstone Is
the nursery of the nation. the cradle OF honor
or vice Here is a family whose parents do
not sing or play any instrument; their chill
dren grow up, and the ordinary games are
soon worn out A nrlshboring saloon has 8
fine barrel organ; here they congregate as
often as expedient Or some neighbor's hoy
has mouth organ; they will crowd around
him, follow him. and, charmed out of mis-
chief will pass many an innocent hour III as
pure delight as poet ever dreamed of. But
thew have no music "at home and when they
can't pick I'D some few itinerant strains
they roam about soon become petty thieves,
and in time are mustered in at the Bridewell
and Join the army at the penitentiary. An
other family picture in the same strata of
life: The father plays the fiddle, the mother
learned 10 sing little, and though the voice
never knew the meaning Of that mysterious
phrase, "voice building" yet she could sing
Sunday school tunes, a few comic songs, per
hsps, and ballad or two like Way Down
Upon the Suwanee River" After supper ami
Oh Sundays the children. ami now and then a
neighbor's children, gather around and are
led through the mazes of Virginia Reel"
Fishers Hornpipe," or some Carnival of
Venice with variations, while the mothers
voice sounds sweeter 10 the little ones than
Pssti's as she sings her favorite song or leads
In some hymn, like ~ROck OF Ages Cleft for
Ne" in which all can join. These children
spend their evenings mostly at home. Soon
the oldest learns to play flute, and by great
economy cabinet organ is provided for the
sister, so that family orchestra is finally es-
tablished, and che years roll around while
these hearts expand in harmony and the
waves OF temptations beat in vain against
this fortress of music.
These are pictures among the poor. Among
the rich it is worse. because the life is more
complex. Take the career of two young
men sent TO college at the same age One
had parents who sang in church, had their
children sing at home and even had them in
structed in piano playing TO be sure, the
teacher was poor girl, whom they pa
ironized from feeling of charity; and her
instruction was very mild. The other didn't
like music, endured it only at church as a
necessary evil, taught his boy that all must
clans were fools or worse, etc. The first one
whiled away his spare hours at college with
piano playing, joined the glee club and took
u pride in his music as an accomplishment
He comes home, and the first thing after set
tling down his mother finds him at the piano
singing some college songs. He goes to
church as much for the music as the ser
mon, and joins in the hymns; is on good
terms with the organist, cultivates the &c
quaintance of Professor Blank, the pianist
and finally joins an amateur musical club,
where he spends one night each week regu-
larry.
The other boy is good sportsman, with q
liberal hand in gambling. His muscle is the
largest in bis class. He knows all the best
oarsuien, best prize fighters and fastest horses
III the country. Upon his arrival at home the
club house or the pool room is his first care,
and then the races and the companionship of
fast men 1t is but one step more to the COM
partnership of Questionable characters and if
this young man does not turn up in the po-
lice court some morning under an assumed
name it will be strange or owing to stingi-
ness or special providence
There are hundreds and thousands of idle
men In a city like Chicago Is it not better
TO occupy their thoughts with music than to
leave them to brood over their misfortunes
and rub the itch of their poor opinions until
they become scabs on the body politica A
city band Of music performing each day in a
public place would draw to it many who
would otherwise be in mischief, and it would
pay to engage thirty or forty men by the
year to play regularly every day
We hire small army of men TO keep filth
and garbage from accumulation in our
streets. Is not the accumulation of mental
aud moral garbage just as dangerousi The
pure and Inspiring effect of good band of
music will act as disinfectant, purifying
the condition of mental depravity as no other
medium can Again, scores OF men are en-
gagged in identifying our parks and drives,
which the poor cannot enjoy because they
are so far away. If the money of the tax
payers can thus be used to pay for flowers to
delight the sense Of sight of rich people, who
own carriages, can it not be justly appro-
pristed to buy music for the poor! 1t is time
our people began to think of these things,
and consider if it is not as wise to amuse the
poor as 70 entertain the rich; if it is not wiser
to prevent than to punish crime.-Chicago
Herald
In a Hotel Lobby.
A man who spent three hours the other day
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